Gray To Silver
by Idiosylph
Summary: The life of Munkustrap. From his days as a kitten until the night of the Jellicle Ball of the musical (Updated at long last! I'll be better now, promise!)
1. The Start of a Life

Gray To Silver: Chapter I

  
It was cold... 

That was his first observation. It was cold, he was wet, and it was dark. The last two he didn't mind so much. As long as there had been even the slightest bit of conciousness in his small form, he had been wet and in total darkness. But the cold...

A small, tired mew escaped his lungs, begging someone to bring back the warmth.

"There, there, little one..."

A voice? Momma?

Something warm was wrapped around him as he felt himself being placed next to another writhing bundle. He curled up. That's how he would be warm now. Curled up in that warm thing. But that writhing thing next to him...

"It's another boy, Griz." came the voice.

The voice wasn't Momma...

He heard another voice crying out in pain, some more mewing, and another writhing blundle was placed next to him.

Great.

Why couldn't they just be still? He was so tired...

"Three boys, Griz." came the first non-Momma voice. "Do you want to see them?"

"Too tired..." came a weary voice. Was that Momma?

A third voice came, this one very near. "Too tired for them? I knew she wasn't ready for kittens."

"Noilly Prat, hush!" the first voice whispered sharply. "She's tired, not deaf!"

"Can I help with the kittens then, Mother?"

Four voices? Which voice was Momma?

"Certainly, Jellylorum." the third voice answered.

Voice three... Noilly Prat... Voice four... Jellylorum... Voice one... non-Momma...

Voice two was Momma, then!

Griz...

Was Griz Momma?

"Mother," Jellylorum's voice whispered, "the gray kitten, he's not moving."

'Course not... he wanted to say... Too tired to move...

"Not moving? Jelly, what do you mean... Heaviside! Jenny, the second one!"

He felt himself being scooped up, the warm thing falling off from around him!

Cold! he wated to cry, but he was too tired...

He felt his back being rubbed frantically... That **_hurt_**!

"Miii!" he cried, trying to struggle away from his tormenter. Then he felt a soft, warm breath on his back. A sigh of relief.

"Thank the Everlasting Cat..." Non-Momma's voice came as the warm thing was wrapped around him again. "I think he'll be fine now. Griz, you are one lucky queen. Griz?"

"How do you like that?" Noilly Prat's voice huffed. "She's asleep! She's asleep and these three don't even have names yet!"

***

Such was his rough entrance into the world.

***

"I think I've settled on Macavity for the red one and Rum Tum Tugger for the spotted one." Momma's voice sounded sweetly through the dark. He liked to listen to Momma. Especially when she sang. Momma's voice was the prettiest of all the voices he'd heard.

He'd heard the voices of the three other queens when he was born. Noilly Prat's voice was accented in a way where she had a hard time with l's and r's. She'd sometimes talk and sing in words he couldn't understand. Non-Momma, who he'd figured out was Jennyanydots, sounded happy nearly all the time. Her voice was high, but had a way of making other voices listen to her. Jellylorum's voice was high too, but every so often he'd notice a slight change in it. It was getting deeper and richer to listen to. 

Toms he'd learned about a few days after coming into the cold world. They liked 'seeing' (whatever 'seeing' was), him and the two forms that wriggled about all the time. The first tom he'd heard was Skimbleshanks. He rolled his r's, and didn't sound like any other voice. It wasn't an unpleasing voice, but just different. But it was like Jelly's in that it was changing a lot. His changing was more noticible, and his voice sometimes cracked. If she heard it, Jelly would giggle and tell him it was 'cute.' Bustopher Jones had a deep voice that Jennyanydots sounded like she liked. Everyone said he sounded 'proper,' and 'distinguished.' Gus had a harsh voice, but not harsh in a mean way. Words just never came out sounding soft. But he laughed a lot, and his laughs were always nice to hear because they were filled with energy.

"What about the gray one?" Noilly Prat's voice asked. "You've come up with four or five each for the other two and not one for the little gray one."

He started to sniff around for lunch.

Find Momma's voice... Food is near her...

He had been the smallest of the three, weaker than either of his brothers, explaining why they had both been energetically moving around at birth while he was more than happy to just lay there. Momma had called him the Runt. Wasn't that his name?

Anyway, name or no name, he wanted lunch. He heard his brothers moving. If he didn't hurry, he would miss out again.

Momma's voice sighed. "I know, I know. I've been trying, but nothing comes to mind for him. I mean, look at him, Noilly!"

"Noilly Prat." the other queen muttered. She didn't care too much for Momma and he was still having a hard time understanding why... For some reason it seemed to involve him... "And at any rate, he'll be a week old soon. Deuteronomy isn't going to be happy if only two of them have names."

"Okay, okay... What about James?" Momma suggested.

"You're kidding, right? That's such an Everyday Name!"

"Bill Bailey?" Momma snapped back.

"You heard Jelly talking about using that name when she had kittens."

He reached Momma and was about to start lunch when she moved. "Then I'll just wait until Deuteronomy gets back and let him name the little runt!" she said, exasperated.

So his name was Runt?

"Grizabella!" Noilly Prat sounded equally exasperated. He heard her get up and walk off.

Hmm, so Momma was Grizabella.

But where did she go?

Grizabella picked up her other two kittens and walked back to her den, forgetting about the steel gray kitten that had been nosing around her a moment earlier for milk. Not really intentionally, of course, but the attention of a Glamour Cat is rarely held long by things that are not as eye-catching as herself.

A cool wind blew through the Junkyard. His thin coat did little to keep him warm. "Mii!" he mewed as loudly as he could, his voice dissapearing into the wind.

A new emotion started to well up inside the kitten. Fear. Where was Momma? His brothers? Even the other voices? He mewed again, but still got no answer. A drop of something landed on his nose. His little pink tungue flicked out to taste what it was. Water! A drop fell on his back, then his head, and then his tail. Then all over! Chills started running down his small body. Water was falling and he was scared, still in the dark. He started to crawl, trying to find Momma's scent, but the water, which was turning the dirt to mud, thwarted his efforts. 

More water, this time it was warm. 

Warm and salty. 

Tears.

He started crying out for Momma, for anyone. But there was no noise, save the falling rain on the piles of junk.

***

Deuteronomy hurried as quickly as his aging body would let him. Grizabella had been due to deliver their kittens two weeks ago and he wanted to get back to see his newest progeny. He hoped there would be at least one son. Old Philemon had accended to the Heaviside Layer at the last Jellicle Ball, and being both Jellicle Protector and soon-to-be Jellicle Leader was taking its toll. If Grizabella had delivered a son, then he would add the title 'Old' to his name and be just the Jellicle Leader. He would have to appoint a Protector in the meantime. Young Skimble would do well in that job.

The rains of the last few days had slowed his progress terribly. He had planned to be home in the Junkyard much sooner, but the storms had made travel impossible. Finally reaching the Junkyard, he quickly made his way towards the den that he had made for Grizabella and their kittens when something caught his eye.

He had almost missed it, the color blending into the pile of junk it lay under. Deuteronomy cautiously crept closer, his duty as Protector in full-swing. A few more steps forward revealed his find to be the still body of a small kitten. His heart sank. The kitten wasn't very old, only a few weeks, but it was coated in caked mud. It looked as if it had been starving, the way the ribs poked out from it's small body. Deuteronomy gently reached out and picked up the kitten. It was so light, Deuteronomy was worried that he might snap the poor creature in two. Was it dead or alive? Placing a finger against the small body, he felt it's sides rise and fall faintly. He gave a sigh of relief. The poor thing was alive. Now, what to do? Grizabella? No, she must have birthed by now. Jennyanydots would be the better choice. The older queen was better at nursing as well. As much as he loved Grizabella, Deuteronomy knew that the queen prefered not to learn about such things.

Quickly reaching the Gumbie Cat's den he knocked frantically on the trunk lid. Opening a little ways, Jenny peered out from underneath. "Deuteronomy!" she smiled. "You're home!"

"Jenny, I've got an emergency for you." he said, urgently. The queen's smile quickly vanished as she lifted the trunk door open enough to let the older tom in. 

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Deuteronomy held out the small kitten. "I spotted this little one next to a junk pile." he explained. Jenny looked dumbstruck. Deuteronomy noticed. "Jenny? What is it?"

The striped and spotted queen just looked at the kitten and then at Deuteronomy. "You found him? Just now? Next to a junk pile?" she asked, taking the kitten from him and placing him into a small bed. "Why didn't you take him to Grizabella?"

"Yes, just as I was coming in." Deuteronomy replied. "I thought that he was in too bad a state to take him to Griz. You're the better nurse, and you don't have any kittens to watch out for right now. Why?"

Jenny didn't answer for a while. She was busy bustling around her den, finding warm water to clean the kitten, pulling out a box carton of milk that she had sniched from her humans' larder earlier that day for a snack to warm it. Deuteronomy sat back, knowing that the Gumbie Cat wouldn't answer until she was done with what she needed to do. "How did you get all the way out there, little one?" Jenny said quietly.

"Jenny?" Deuteronomy asked. "Is he alright?"

Jenny sighed. "It will depend on whether or not he wakes up soon. Poor thing, he was already off to such a hard start." 

"What do you mean, Jenny?" Deuteronomy asked, indicating that he wanted to be informed now. The queen looked unsure. "Jenny, I'm going to be the Jellicle Leader sooner or later. But I can't be a good one if you can't tell me something." 

"Well," Jenny started, not sure what to say exactly. "For starters I should say congradulations. You are the father of three sons." Deuteronomy nodded, inwardly elated, but knowing there was more. Jenny continued. "But secondly, you might be on the verge of losing one of them."

Deuteronomy leaned forward. "What?"

Jenny gestured to the still form of the kitten. "He was the second of the three. I'm afraid he's always been a little on the small side..."

"A runt." Deuteronomy said, saying the word that Jenny couldn't bring herself to. "Do you know how he got away from Griz, then?"

Jenny sighed. Deuteronomy frowned. He had been worried about this. Grizabella was a Glamour Cat. They were notorious for abandoning what they saw as ugly, plain, useless. A small, plain gray kitten was just the sort of thing that would lose her interest quickly. Maternal instinct would come in second to Jellicle nature.

Jenny watched as the large tom got up and walked over to the bed. He knelt down next to it and placed his hand on the kitten's head. Warm. Feaver. "Names?" he asked.

"Macavity is the red one and Rum Tum Tugger is the spotted one. She didn't name this one."

"No name..." he said softly. That was akin to writing a kitten off. Jellicles only did that for stillborn kittens. Even sickly ones are named so that they can be sent to the Heaviside.

Deuteronomy closed his eyes for a moment. Even an unexceptional kitten needed a Particular, Pecular Name. "Then you'll be Munkustrap." he said softly.

Under his hand, Munkustrap shifted a little. 

There was something big and warm near him... 

Not Momma, but it still felt warm and safe.

Deuteronomy smiled. "So you are going to fight, eh little Munkustrap?" He was answered by a soft little mew. A weak one, but it was there.

A new tom voice...

Deep, rich... Warm, strong... Full of command, but at the same time gentle...

Little Munkustrap wanted a voice like that someday.

Deuteronomy stood and turned to Jennyanydots. "Jenny, I have a favor to ask of you. It's big, but..."

Jenny cut him off. "Say nothing more." she smiled. "Another little soul around this home would do some good. Bustopher and I always wanted a little one running around, but never had the chance. Besides, it'll get him out of competition with his brothers. Those two have no problem getting around. They'll either be the bane of our existance or a tribe clown, mark my words."

"Thank you Jenny." Deuteronomy smiled at the matronly queen. "Now, if you'll exuse me, I have two other sons to see and a mate who needs to answer for this one."

***

Grizabella shrugged. "I guess I just forgot him." she said simply.

"Forgot him?" Deuteronomy asked, astounded that she could say something like that so calmly. "Griz, he was nearly dead! I found him laying under a junk pile."

"So he's still alive. Good then." Griz answered, cleaning Macavity, who batted back at her. He hated being groomed. "Where is he now?"

"With Jenny. I thought that she might be better suited to take care of him right now." Deuteronomy answered.

"Macavity, hold still..!" Griz said irritably, holding the red kitten down with a paw. "Yes, she would be a good one to take care of the little thing."

Deuteronomy sighed. "I did give him a name."

"Hmm?" Griz was still distracted by the little red kitten.

"I thought Munkustrap would be a good name."

"Terribly fancy, isn't it?" she asked, looking up at him. "I mean, even you have to admit that he's just a plain little kit."

"That's not the point, Grizabella. He needed a name and I gave him one. Besides, all cats need a Particular Name. And maybe a plainer kitten needs one more than anyone."

***

Light...

The eyelids of the small, gray kitten fluttered open, seeing his world for the first time.

Blankets were piled on top of him, a precaution against feaver, and from somewhere behind him he heard someone moving around. A voice, rather sing-song was coming from the sounds of bustling. He recognized the voice as Jennyanydots. Rolling over, Munkustrap's large blue eyes looked all around, and found himself in what looked like a home. Blankets and cusions were all around him, there were little areas to stash food, and even a little broom to clean with. Rolling over a little more, he saw a cat... well, he thought it was a cat. He'd never actually _seen_ one before. So, not knowing if it was a queen or tom, or even if it was a cat, Munkustrap started watching it.

It was covered with stripes and spots, and moved around with a bustling shuffle. Then he heard the voice of Jennyanydots coming from it, and guessed that this was the actual queen. As she made a pass by the bed, Jenny glanced down to see the two bright eyes looking up at her from under the blankets. "Great Heaviside..." she said n a mix between a gasp and an exclamation. "You've made it!"

Made it? What did she mean? The last thing he remembered was laying under something to keep the water off, waiting for Momma to come back for him.

"Deuteronomy!" Jenny rushed to the trunk door and called out for the Jellicle Leader. "Old Deuteronomy! Come quickly!"

Old Deuteronomy? Who was that?

An old tom came into the den. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to it. Munkustrap leaned forward a little, the scent of the old tom familiar... "You're finally awake, eh, Munkustrap?"

The voice! The tom voice!

Munkustrap... His name was Munkustrap? Not Runt?

He liked Munkustrap better.

"You probably don't know who I am, but I'm your father." the old tom said. "I'm Old Deuteronomy."

Father... That was like Momma, but a tom!

Munkustrap mewed happily. Since Momma was busy with his brothers, Father was going to be with him!

Old Deuteronomy smiled at the tom kitten. He was plain, that was true. Dark steel gray was no unusual color. But there was a white spot around his small mouth and under the dark gray, lines of black could just barely be seen. There might be an interesting pattern to this kit yet. He noticed that Munkustrap was wondering out timidly from the blankets. He also noticed that the kitten's ribs still stuck out clearly. "Jenny, do you think that Munkustrap here could have something to eat?"

Jenny's voice called back from further into the den. "Oh of course! The poor dear must be starving."

Munkustrap worked his way out from the blankets and started to make his way akwardly over to Father. He stumbled a few times, but eventually he managed to get his feet working with the rest of his body. Old Deuteronomy smiled. "Such a big spirit in such a small body. You are going to be something special when you are older, aren't you?" He reached down and picked his small son up. Munkustrap let out another happy mew and nuzzled his father. Father was furrier than Momma was, and his voice was even nicer to hear, if that was possible.

A few minutes later Jenny came into the main area of the den with a small saucer of milk. She set it down on the bed, and Deuteronomy set Munkustrap down next to it. The kitten looked sadly up at the old tom for a moment wondering if Father was going to leave, but quickly smiled when he realized that the white stuff was food! After making his discovery he started to lap it up greedily. It was only a matter of minutes before the saucer was empty and Munkustrap's small belly was very full. A small burp escaped the kitten and Deuteronomy chuckled. "Such manners!" Jenny exclaimed, a smile crossing her face. "We'll have to work on those."

"I think that once he learns that he doesn't have to worry about food dissapearing on him, he be a little more Jellicle in his manners." Deuteronomy smiled as Munkustrap begain to slowly amble over to his sire. The old tom picked up the kitten and smiled as a soft, contented purr eminated from the little form. Soon, the bright blue eyes closed again and Munkustrap was asleep, his small paws grasping at Deuteronomy's long fur.

Jenny sat down nearby. "The little darling doesn't want to let go." she smiled. "I can't say I blame him. I think this is the first time he's really ever been held like that."

Deuteronomy sighed. "I don't honestly think she means to ignore him."

Jenny nodded. "But she is what she is. She's a Glamour Cat. And I'm a Gumbie Cat." She smiled at Deuteronomy. "Don't worry. I'll take care of him like he was my own."

"You're an angel amoung cats, Jennyanydots." Deuteronomy smiled. 

Jenny blushed a little. "Hardly. Just doing what comes to me." she picked up the milk saucer and took it to the back of the den to clean it. "Now, I'm going to meet Bustopher at The Siamese. You stay here for as long as you like to get some quality time with your son."

***

So he had a name, and friends in the world. 


	2. Growing Up is Hard to Do

Gray To Silver: Chapter II

  
"Munkustrap! Oh, now where has that kitten run off to?"

"I'm right here, Aunt Jenny!" Munkustrap called as he quickly bounded up and onto the top of the trunk that he lived in with Jennyanydots and her mate, Bustopher Jones.

Jenny smiled as she saw her young charge scrambling up to sit next to her. "Now where have you been?" she asked. "It's nearly suppertime!"

"I was playing with the other toms." Munk smiled. "They were actually letting me play with them today!"

"They were?" Jenny asked, surprised. Normally she had to go and actually instruct the other tom kits to play with Munkustrap. "And what were you playing?"

"We were playing with that ball that Macavity found the other day." Munk replied.

_Found..._ Jenny thought, skeptically, _That kit 'finds' more things..._

"And they said that I had an important part in the game!" he smiled. "They said that since I have the best eyes, and because I'm the smallest, I'd be the best one to be the referee." he beamed proudly as he followed his foster mother into their den. "I was the one who made sure that the ball always was where it was supposed to be."

"Well, isn't that nice of them." Jenny said, rather non-enthusiastically. "Now, you go clean up for dinner. You know Uncle Bustopher likes it when you're clean."

"Yes ma'm!" Munk nodded and quickly went deeper into the den.

Jenny sighed. Those tom kits had just found another way to keep from having to play with poor Munk. Now he actually thought he was included, while in actuality he was still side-lined. She shook her head. No doubt this was another one of Macavity's ideas. The red kit seemed to almost take pleasure in finding new ways to exclude or torment his younger brother.

Tugger, well, Tugger liked to be popular with the other kittens. He was quickly developing into a rather handsome young tom and the queen kits were starting to take notice of him. He didn't seem to enjoy the exclusion of Munkustrap, but Macavity was the older brother, and what he said was what went with the kitten crowd. Coricopat was almost as secluded as Munkustrap, but he had his sister, Tantomile, and Coricopat was at least big enough to make what he wanted known. And as for Victor and Admetus, well, they were followers and would exclude whoever Macavity said to. 

The new queen kittens, Bombalurina and Demeter, seemed a little more inclined to be kinder to Munkustrap. Bombalurina would usually give him at least a smile, and Demeter would often talk with the young tom since at the moment he was the only one who wasn't constantly asking her to dance or go steady. In fact, the young queen seemed to enjoy just talking with Munkustrap and he certainly seemed to reciprocate it.

Jenny looked down at the grouse she had prepared.

Demeter certainly seemed Munkustrap's only friend in his age group, but he looked to be in danger of loosing her to the others. Jenny had noticed, with some dissatisfaction, that Macavity's eye had landed on the calico queen kit lately and every so often she would see her eyes linger on him, and a shy smile creep across her lips when the two talked or were near each other. And if she came under his influence, the only ones Munkustrap would have still on his side would be the adults who had taken him in.

Time being only around adults had made an impression on the young tom. He was generally more serious than other kittens, thoughtful as well. Munkustrap was quite capable of having an intellectual conversation with even his father, Old Deuteronomy. But it didn't help him with the other kittens, and Jenny could tell that Munkustrap's closeness with his father was a source of jealousy from Macavity. Macavity was to be the Jellicle Protector when he was old enough, and he felt that the tight bond that could be seen between Old Deuteronomy and Munkustrap should have been between himself and his sire. The red tom kit couldn't see that the bond between his younger brother and his father was only so strong because of the neglect of their mother.

_And Grizabella... Where are you now?_

It hadn't been too long after the three tom kits were old enough to be on their own that the Glamour Cat had simply dissapeared into the night. Even though she hadn't said a word to anyone, everyone knew where she had gone. The world was simply too big a place for a Glamour Cat to stay in one Junkyard.

_**CRASH!**_

Jenny whirled around. What was that?! "Munkustrap? Are you alright?" She called into the den.

No answer.

Worried, Jenny quickly moved into the den. Dispite her care, Munkustrap had always been a small kitten, easily injured. "Munkustrap?" she called out again.

She found the small tom curled up on his bed, curled into a ball. Nearby was a small tin filled with small pebbles. Munkustrap always placed a pebble into the tin when he had played with the other kittens. It helped to remind him that the others thought enough about him to include him.

It looked like it had been kicked over violently.

Pebbles were scattered all across the floor and there was a dent in the side of the tin. Jenny looked down at Munkustrap, who didn't even look like he knew she was there. She heard a sniffle as she saw him tying to keep from crying. It wasn't working very well. His thin frame didn't hide much. The Gumbie Cat sat down next to the small tom kit and gently stroked his back.

"Munkustrap?"

Silence. Followed by a choked back sob.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" she asked quietly.

Silence.

Jenny frowned. Munkustrap generally prefered to talk through his problems with someone. "Munkustrap?" she asked again.

"They never really wanted me to play, did they?!" Munk finaly broke down. "They just gave me that stupid part so you wouldn't make them play with me!"

"Poor dear..." Jenny said quietly, pulling her charge into her arms. "I'm sure they just wanted to make sure you were included..."

Munkustrap looked up at her, tears brimming in his eyes. "They never really want to play with me." he sniffed. "I'm too small. They can't play rough when I'm in the game. And I don't like play fighting all the time. I like talking and stuff." He wiped his eyes. "They say that queens only do that. I hear them talking when they don't think I can."

Jenny hugged Munkustrap tightly, tears threatening at the corners of her own eyes. Munkustrap was as dear to her as her own kitten might have been, and she hated to see him like this. "You're just maturing differently then they are, dear." she said quietly. "You think more like a grown tom and they are just kittens in bodies of toms." The thought didn't seem to be making much difference to the gray kitten.

"Maybe if I was like that they'd play with me." he cried quietly into her fur.

The two just sat there for a long while, the Gumbie Cat gently rocking the kitten back and forth like he was still a few weeks old. When Bustopher finally returned home, he looked into the back room and shook his head sadly. It took no words from his mate or his ward to explain what had gone on that afternoon.

***

Munkustrap had been meloncholy since that afternoon. No ammount of cheering from Jenny, Jelly, or any of the other adults could alieviate the young tom's dark mood, which mached his coat quite appropriately. He looked a beaten kitten, knowing that no matter what he did, he would always be an outsider to the rest of his peer group.

Watching from the top of his adopted family's car, he saw Tugger flirting with Bombalurina. The two were quite a lot alike, both showing the signs of being the ultimate in sexuality for their respective genders. Victor and Admetus were wrestling with each other. The two toms liked the tests of stregnth. The twins were sunbathing on a mattress. Macavity was nowhere to be found, neither was Demeter. Munk's demenor grew blacker. His one friend, and she was probably off with his brother somwhere.

A shadow fell over Munk's back. He turned around to see who it was. "This seat taken?" Demeter smiled down at him.

"Umm, no! Of course not!" Munk smiled, cheering up imensly at the sight of his friend.

Demeter was a young calico, gold and black being the highlights of her coat. The pattern fell similarly on her body as on her sister, Bombalurina's, but with more stripes and less spots. She had kind, green eyes and a soft smile that always seemed to make Munkustrap's heart beat a little faster when he saw them. While not as overtly sensual as her sister, Demeter was obviously still going to be quite a beautiful queen when she was fully grown.

"You looked kind of down." Demeter said softly. "I thought I'd come over and see if there was anything I could do."

Munkustrap sighed. "You're doing a lot just by talking with me. None of the others really ever seem to want to do that." Demeter nodded. She knew that the other kittens would often tease Munkustrap behind his back. If he had heard half of the things that had been said about him...

She decided to try and change the subject. "You going to be at the Ball next month?" she asked.

Munk looked unsure. "I... I haven't made up my mind yet." he replied. "It all kinda depends on some stuff."

Demeter leaned back and smiled. "I'm going. I wouldn't miss it for the world! Jelly says it's so much fun with all the singing and dancing..."

Singing... Dancing...

Requiring phyical prowess that Munkustrap knew he didn't have.

His ears drooped a little. "Umm... Were you going to go with anyone?" he asked.

"Well," she smiled at him, "I was kinda hoping Macavity would ask me." Munk flinched. Demeter sat up. "Why? He hasn't asked Bomby, has he?"

"No..." Munkustrap said, softly. "She's going with Tugger."

"But I would be delighted if you would accompany me." came a silky voice from behind them. Munkustrap and Demeter turned to see Macavity perched on top of the car roof. Demeter smiled. "It's a date then." the red tom kit smiled, casting a side glance at Munkustrap, whose tail had curled under his legs. "And you, little brother, will we have the pleasure of seeing you there?"

"Yeah... I'll be there." Munk choked out. Then he quickly turned and ducked into his den.

Demeter looked confused. "What's wrong with him, I wonder?"

Macavity shrugged. "He is an odd one. Now, shall we practice for the Ball?" he asked, extending a hand to Demeter. Smiling, she took it and the two walked off.

From inside the den, Munkustrap watched. "Demeter..." he cried quietly before retreating to his bed area.

***

"He hasn't gotten out of bed in days, Deuteronomy." Jenny said in an anxious whisper. "I don't know what's wrong. He won't talk to anyone, he won't eat... I'm so worried about him. He's just not naturally strong enough to do this to himself."

Deuteronomy frowned. This was indeed troubling news. Normally Munkustrap was the first to great him when he returned to the Junkyard from his wonderings. This time he hadn't seen or heard anything of his middle son until he had been met by Jennyanydots, who had brought him the news of Munkustrap's turn. He moved quietly into the back area of the den where the beds were and saw the form of a young tom under a blanket. Deuteronomy gently lay a hand on the young cat's shoulder. Munkustrap would know straight away who it was.

"I'm not getting up." came the horse whisper of someone who had spent hours crying.

Deuteronomy sat down on the bed. "You're hurting yourself by doing this, Munkustrap."

"Right now that's all I want." Munkustrap replied. "If I'm lucky, maybe I'll die and then I won't be a bother to anyone anymore. The other kittens won't have to be told to include me, and the adults won't have to watch out for me."

The old tom sighed. "Munkustrap, Jennyanydots didn't save you from death by exposure just to have you starve yourself now."

"She should have." Munkustrap wimpered. "Then she wouldn't have to worry about me. Why she wanted to take care of a cast off is beyond me... Momma didn't even want me..."

"Oh, so now your own Father doesn't count for anything?" Deuteronomy said quietly.

Munkustrap shot up, just like Deuteronomy expected. "NO!" he exclaimed, before falling back, the exclaimation draining what little energy he had. "No... You're everything... More important than Momma was..." he whispered.

"Now see what I mean?" Deuteronomy smiled, laying a hand on the young tom's forehead. "You've let yourself get too weak, Munkustrap. How do you expect to do anything at the Ball in this state?"

"I'm not going."

"Now why is that?" Deuteronomy asked.

Munkustrap had leaned himself up against the wall of the den, but didn't look at his father. "I'd be all by myself. That's no fun."

"All by yourself?" Deuteronomy asked. "Are you sure? What about Skimbleshanks? The two of you get on well."

"He's going to be with Jellylorum."

"Jennyanydots?"

"With Uncle Bustopher."

"Gus?"

"Noilley Prat."

"Tugger?"

"Bombalurina."

"Victor?"

"Wrestling with Admetus."

"Tantomile?"

"Coricopat."

Deuteronomy sighed. He had a feeling he knew what the answer to the last question was. "Demeter?"

He saw Munkustrap flinch, and almost visibly shrink. "Macavity." he answered quietly.

"Demeter..." Deuteronomy said quietly. "Munkustrap, is that what this is about? You have feelings for the young queen?" He barely saw the slight head-bob that was Munkustrap's answer. "You're not embarassed by them, are you?"

Deuteronomy could see that there were tears threatening to fall from Munkustrap's eyes. "How can I not be?" he whimpered. "She's... Demeter's... Well, she's everything! She's beautiful, kind, interesting, fun, and a whole mess of other things that I can't name. She makes me feel happy when she's near me, I'm sad when she's not... But when I heard Macavity ask her to go to the Ball with him, right there in front of me..." He looked up at Deuteronomy. "It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach."

_Right in front of him... Macavity... How can you be so cruel?_ Deuteronomy thought.

"She sings like an angel," Munkustrap went on, a smile creeping onto his face, "and her dancing is like poetry if you could see it. But..." he looked down, a cloud passing over his face, "I couldn't ever tell her. I guess I know that now. I'm just the uninteresting little brother of Macavity. I might as well face the fact that there isn't a queen alive who'll ever want to be with me. They like toms that are strong like Macavity and handsome like Tugger."

Deuteronomy placed a hand on his son's shoulder. He knew there wasn't anything he could say right now. The only thing that would change his mind was for some queen to prove it to him. 

"Munkustrap, come to the Ball. If nothing else than to make your father happy." Munkustrap looked up and slowly nodded. He would do anything for his father.

***

The Jellicle Ball had gone smoothly. Jellylorum and Skimbleshanks were now offically mated and quietly retreated to the Railway Cat's den for their first night together. Gus and Noilly Prat had returned to the theater, once Gus had given a good talking-to to his new son-in-law. Coricopat and Tantomile went back to their shared den, while Tugger and Bombalurina flirted back to Tugger's pipe for a rather shameless night. Admetus and Victor rolled around in the dirt some more before finally calling it a night. Demeter had, much to the chagrin of Macavity, retired to her own den, forcing the red tom to go back to his own. Jenny and Bustopher went back to their den, leaving Munkustrap with Old Deuteronomy sitting on the tire.

Munkustrap had done his best to keep up with the dancing of the ball. The faster ones he had problems with, but slower tempos were no problem. He might be small, but he was coordinated. After a while though, it was all too much for the recovering young tom, and he retreated to the the tire to sit with this father. There had been points where he had been enjoying himself, especially when he was able to watch Demeter dance, but those moments were usually always dashed when he saw his older brother step in to glide along side her.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Deuteronomy asked quietly.

"I guess." Munkustrap replied. "I wish I could keep up better though."

Deuteronomy smiled. "Just keep your stregnth up, and keep practicing, and one day you'll be dancing with the best of them, Munkustrap." Munk couldn't help but smile a little bit. His father had an infectious energy sometimes.

Suddenly, there was a scream from elsewhere in the Junkyard.

"That was Demeter!" Munkustrap exclaimed, his ears perking up as he jumped to his feet. Before Deuteronomy could say anything, the young tom was off the tire and racing as quickly as he could into the yard where the scream had come from.

"What in Heaviside's name was that?!" Skimbleshanks' head popped out of his den, followed by Jellylorum's. "That sounded like a scream!"

"Demeter's voice. Munkustrap took off before I could stop him." Deuteronomy answered. Skimble let out a hiss. His mating night or not, he was still the Protector until Macavity was of age. The orange tabby quickly sped off in the direction Deuteronomy indicated, Jellylorum and Deuteronomy following behind.

As the alarm was raised, the other cats joined the group, until the only ones not there were Demeter and Munkustrap. "Heaviside! He can move fast!" Admetus muttered, trying to keep up with the other toms.

"Yeah," Victor huffed, "who would have thought the runt could sprint?"

"That's enough outta the two of ye!" Skimble shot back over his shoulder. "The lad's ahead of us and is in Heaviside knows what kinda danger!"

***

Munkustrap ran quickly through piles of junk following the direction of the scream. He turned a corner and saw Demeter pinned to the ground by a large stray. The queen was thrashing about wildly, trying to get away, while the stray straddled her body and looked to have every intention of violating her.

A veil of red fell over Munkustrap's field of vision. A stray... _**A STRAY**_... had the gall to touch Demeter like that!?

Without a second thought to his own safety, the small tom jumped on top of the stray's back, sending the both of them flying. "Get out of here, Demeter!" Munk called after her. Demeter turned, and froze in her tracks, obviously not expecting the rescuer who had come to her aid. Munk noticed her reaction and waved her on. "GET OUT!" he called again. This time she listened, running off to find the others.

"You little shrimp!" the stray hissed. "I'd been keepin' my eye on that dame for weeks now!"

"You lay a hand on her..." Munk growled before being cut off by a punch to the face.

"And my plan gets the ax by a runt!" the stray added before throwing in a kick to the stomach. The kick sent Munkstrap flying, the wind knocked out of him. The gray tom managed to pull himself to his hand and knees, and hazily made out blood coming out of his mouth.

_Blood..._ the thought drifted through his mind. _Aunt Jenny said something about blood from the mouth..._

Munkustrap felt himself being lifted. "I hope you like swimming, runt." the stray laughed evily.

_Swimming..?_ Munkustrap opened his eyes as wide as he could, since they were now starting to swell shut from the punch, and saw the object of the threat. An open man-hole. The sound of fast moving water could clearly be heard from inside. Munkustrap tried to struggle free, but the stray had the advantage of stregnth.

"Put the lad down!" Skimble's voice rang out from nearby. The stray paused. "Put him down and ye can leave unmolested."

"Jellicles, eh?" the stray sneered. "Nah, I think I'll have more fun getting rid of this one!" he said, tossing Munkustrap down into the blackness of the open man-hole.

"Murderer!" Skimble roared, leaping at the stray. He was followed by Admetus, Coricopat and Victor in pinning the cat down.

"Where is he?" The five cats looked up to see Old Deuteronomy standing over them.

"The runt?" the stray laughed. "He's getting a nice tour of the sewers of London." Deuteronomy hissed, a sound that sent chills down the spines of any cat that heard it.

"Skimbleshanks, do with him as you see fit." the Jellicle Leader said, slowly turning and walking back to the Junkyard clearing.

Not long after there were screams of a cat who was having revenge being inflicted on his hide

The others watched Old Deuteronomy go. It was like seeing him age decades in a matter of moments. He would not shed tears before the tribe, but he would do so in private. Soft sounds of the queens crying could be heard, as they were comforted by mates, friends, and brothers. While not many of the younger cats had been close to Munkustrap, he was a Jellicle, and to lose one was to lose part of themselves. Jenny wept openly for the loss of the only kitten she had ever raised as her own. Jelly cried for a kitten she had helped to bring into the world. Demeter's tears were for a friend and for a savior that she would now never be able to thank. Even Tugger's eyes were damp. Although never close, he had always been secretly fond of his older brother, the one who would listen and could understand about the troubles of Macavity as an older brother.

There was only one cat who did not cry.

Macavity sat a distance away from the group, wondering what this new twist would mean for him. 


	3. Can You Ever Go Home Again?

Gray to Silver III 

Gray To Silver: Chapter III

  
Skimbleshanks, Coricopat, Admetus, Victor, Tugger and Macavity searched the sewers for the next three hours hoping to find Munkustrap, or at least his body for a proper Jellicle burial.. The darkness and slippery walkways made going difficult, and progress was slow. Eventually, they were forced to give up. Skimble stood at the bottom of the ladder as the other toms climbed back up to the surface of the Junkyard. He was about to climb up when he noticed something... Something red. Stepping off the ladder, he knelt down next to a smear of blood on the edge of the walkway. The Railcat hissed as he balled his hand into a fist. The rushing water of the sewer had caught Munkustrap's body. There would be no way to find it now.

***

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Demeter said softly, her voice still shaking from crying. 

She was standing in front of the Jellicle Leader inside Jennyanydots' and Bustopher's den. The two other Jellicles were standing a short distance away, Bustopher still comforting his mate.

Deuteronmy nodded slowly. "I have something for you, Demeter." he said. "It's something from Munkustrap."

"From Munkustrap?" Demeter wasn't sure what to say.

The old tom nodded. He reached under Munkustrap's bed and pulled out a small box and handed it to the calico queen. "Open it." he urged quietly.

Her hand shaking a little, Demeter opened the box, her eyes widening a little at what she found inside. It was a collar, one that the two of them had seen one day as they were walking past a human store. The collar was made from black leather, and was decorated with small silver spikes and amber rinestones. In her mind Demeter remembered talking to Munkustrap about it...

_Oh! Look at that collar, Munk! Isn't it beautiful?_

_It kind of looks like the one Tugger got for Bombalurina. Well, except that the stones on it are amber instead of red._

_Munk, there's a world of difference between this one and hers. You toms just don't understand fashion, do you?_

_Ummm, look at me, Demeter. Basic gray?_

_*giggles* Yeah, yeah, I can see your point._

_But you're right. It would look nice on you._

_*sigh* But I'd never be able to get it. You need humans to get those sorts of things._

_How Tugger ever got humans, I'll never know..._

_Humans like exotic looking cats._

The conversation had continued, but nothing more had been said about the collar. Honestly, she had almost forgotten about it aside from the times Bombalurina would admire her own. Demeter looked up. "But, Munk never had humans. How did he get this?"

"I have humans, dear." Jenny finally looked up and separated from Bustopher. "We convenced them to get it. He wanted to give it to you when we finally had a birthday celebrations for all of you kits who are turning a year in a couple of months."

"But, considering the cercumstances, I thought it would be better to give it to you now." Deuteronomy said quietly. "Demeter, I know that right now is going to be rough for you." Demeter nodded slowly. After all, she knew that Munk's death was at her feet. How Jennyanydots, Bustopher and Old Deuteronomy could even stand to look at her right now was a mystery to her. The Jellicle Leader gently took the box from Demeter's trembling grasp so that he could take her hands in his own. "Munkustrap cared a great deal about you, Demeter. I know for a fact that he was more than willing to sacrifice his own life for yours. He would want you to be happy now. Please, do that for him."

Demeter nodded. There was no way she would have been able to say anything at that moment. Tears would have come first. She started a little as she felt Jenny's hand on the back of her neck, gently brushing some fur into place. "He was so happy when he knew that he was going to be able to give this to you." she said quietly as she put the collar on the young queen. "It was the brightest I had seen his face in a long while."

Her hand gently came up to feel the collar. Her birthday present from Munkustrap. Now a link she'd have to him forever. Tears welled up in Demeter's eyes. Old Deuteronomy saw and stood up, taking Demeter in his arms, simply letting her cry.

***

Munkustrap was faintly aware of a gentle rocking motion, like he was being carried. His eyes were nearly swollen shut, but he could make out a human face looking over at him.

"He's gonna be alright, isn't he Mommy?"

"I don't know, dear. He's badly hurt and he's not a very healthy cat."

Am so healthy... just... tired... sore...

He felt himself being placed onto something soft. Soft and warm. Then he felt a hand gently roaming over him. Munkustrap flinched at the touch, causing it to withdraw briefly. "Poor cat. You've probably never been around people, have you? You just lay still and let me make sure you're not going to have any of these cuts get infected."

What felt like a warm, damp cloth gently washed over his aching body. Munkustrap winced a few times, and every time he did, the human woman would pause and gently speak and stroke him in a, well, in a rather reassuring way. 

Like a human Aunt Jenny....

"How do you think he ended up in the water, Mommy?" the human kit asked.

"It looks like he might have fallen into the sewers, dear." the human queen answered. "Well, that's what it smells like. He's going to need a bath to get that smell off of him."

There was a sound from a short distance away, it sounded like a door opening and closing. A moment later, Munkustrap heard someone enter the room. It was another human, but whoever it was wansn't near enough for him to see. "What's going on?" The voice belonged to a human tom. "Clara, I thought we had this talk. No pets. I'm around them all day, I don't need one to look after when I get home from the clinic..."

"David," the human queen cut off her mate, "Casey and I found him floating in a ditch. We couldn't just leave him there. Anyway, I wasn't planning on keeping him. I was going to take him to the shelter as soon as I made sure he was alright."

The human tom, David, sighed. "Clara, you know Casey is going to get attached if we keep him here..."

"You're a vet, David. Don't you at least feel some sort of obligation to a hurt animal?"

"That's low..."

"Well? You could at least take a look at him. Make Casey feel better."

"Alright... But don't get your hopes up. I don't want a cat running around the house." he grumbled as he bent over Munkustrap. Munkustrap tried to focus on the human's face, but it was so blurry... "God, this cat should be dead, Clara... Look at him! He looks like he was just beaten to within an inch of his life."

"We did think he fell into the sewers." the human queen replied.

Clara... That's what her name was... The tom was David, and the kit was Casey.

What increadibly Sensible, Everyday Names...

David shook his head. "He didn't get anything but the smell from the sewers. This cat was in some sort of fight. And look at the rest of him... Dull coat, visible ribs... If this cat were a human, he'd be one of those kids in the third-world aid commercials."

"What? Is he sick or something?" Clara asked.

"No, malnurished. He was probably the runt of the litter or something." David replied.

Runt? He hadn't been called that in a long time...

"Are we gonna help him, Daddy?" Casey's voice came from somewhere behind him.

"Great..." David muttered. "Casey, you know I want to help animals, but we really don't need a cat in the house."

"But Mommy's going to take him to the shelter if we don't keep him!"

"And he'll be avalible to go to a good home at the shelter, son." David said. Not that his words were having much of an effect on the human kit.

"But you said that people didn't adopt sick animals from the shelter." Casey was obviously getting upset. "You said they only liked puppies and kittens and that other animals get put to sleep."

"Yes, some animals get put to sleep, but it doesn't hurt them, Casey."

"But they still die!"

Die?

Woah! Wait a second! Munkustrap's mind jerked awake.

You are not taking me anywhere that I'm getting killed!

"Please, Daddy! Let him stay! I don't have anyone to play with here since Josh moved."

The human queen moved closer to her mate. "For pete's sake, David. It's just one cat. It'll help Casey learn some responsibility if he has to take care of it."

"Isn't that what you said about the gerbil?"

Clara's voice lowered. "David, we are _**keeping**_ the cat. Casey doesn't have many friends, and he'll at least have something to play with if we keep him."

Her voice didn't leave much room for compromise.

So Munkustrap now had humans.

***

It was a while before Munkustrap was able to get back on his feet. Apparently he had broken a few ribs in his journey through the sewers, and it was too uncomfortable to move around with his body taped up. But Casey, the human kit, did seem to be taking an active interest in making sure that he wasn't too bored in the meantime.

From what Munkustrap knew of humans, he guessed that Casey was about seven or eight. But unlike other human kits he had seen, Casey knew how to treat cats correctly. He was always very careful when he picked Munkustrap up, making sure to support his entire body, and he carefully brushed Munkustrap every day. After it was clear that Munkustrap's novelty was not the reason for the attention, the gray tom actually started to let himself enjoy the gentle regimine. The only thing that Munkustrap didn't care for was the name the humans insisted on him being called.

Smokey.

How common.

But he couldn't speak human, and they couldn't understand Jellicle, so there was little he could do about it. So he just learnt to endure it, remembering that Aunt Jenny had the same complaint about her humans.

A few days after ariving at the human home, Munkustrap smelled something near his bed in the laundry room. Opening his eyes (thankfully the swelling had gone down), he saw a metal dish nearby with Casey sitting next to it. "Hey Smokey!" the kit said happily. "Daddy said that you can probably eat solid food again, so Mommy and I went to the market today and got you some really good stuff."

Munkustrap looked down to see some meatish-looking glop that looked like at one time had been in a can.

Appitizing... 

But it smelled good...

Carefully turning himself over to get his feet under him, Munkustrap slowly pulled himself out his bed and to the dish. He sniffed at the meaty stuff and, after deciding that it most probably was (or had been at one point in it's existance) meat, took a small bite. It tasted a bit odd, not like any meat he'd ever had before, but it wasn't the worst stuff he'd ever had.

And he was hungry...

So he took another bite and eventually made his way through the entire bowl. "Mommy! He's eating it!" Casey said as he walked back to his mother. 

"That's good, dear." Clara replied. "Daddy said that food would help him get over some of that malnurishment. That means he'll get bigger and grow up to be a big cat."

Munkustrap looked up at the two humans. What in Heaviside were they talking about? He was full grown as far a Jellicles went. The only way he could grow was the way the Uncle Bustopher did: Out.

***

Nearly a year passed...

Munkustrap's life was that of an indoor housecat...

Which he hated...

He had to get back to the Junkyard...

The Jellicle Ball was soon... 

***

Casey picked Munkustrap up and carried him over to the sofa in the family room. The human kit pulled out a book and opened the front cover. Munkustrap looked in, curious. And a little surprised to see a picture of himself on the front page! It had obviously been taken when he first came to the humans' home, bandages were still around his body, and the bruises and cuts on his body were just healing. He looked up at Casey, wondering what the human kit wanted to do.

"Mommy and I made a scrapbook for you, Smokey!" the kit said with a smile on his face. "We wanted to keep a record of you getting better."

Interesting...

But it was nice to think that... his... humans thought enough of him to do that. As nice a them giving him the black collar that was decorated with small silver studs. That was David's idea. Munkustrap had grown on the human tom, and David had insisted that he get a collar. "In case he ever gets out. Then Animal Control will know where he lives and he won't go to the shelter." Munkustrap still didn't quite know what that ment, but he was glad that he'd never have to go to the shelter.

Munkustrap settled down on Casey's lap and, as the kit gently scratched behind his ears, watched as Casey slowly turned the pages and talked about each of the pictures. Munkustrap really wasn't paying too much attention. He was enjoying the ear skritch too much and had learned that humans generally didn't know whether or not he was paying attention anyway. But then, when Casey got to the last page, something caught his eye.

A picture, one he remembered having taken.

But the cat... The cat...

Didn't look like him at all...

Munkustrap jumped into the center of Casey's lap to get a better look at the picture. The cat he saw in it wasn't really gray, the color was closer to a silver, the black lines that had before only been hinted at on his coat standing out boldly against it. Munkustrap shook his head and jumped out of Casey's lap. Something was wrong... Jumping to the floor, he ran upstairs where he knew that there was a mirror in the spare guestroom.

When he reached the room he looked in the mirror only to have that same strange tom looking back at him. But this time, he couldn't deny that it was him looking back at himself. His coat had lightened and lay sleek next to his body. His headfur had lost the shape it had held when he was younger, looking more like his father's save for the the fact that his father had long fur all around his face. But what Munkustrap couldn't belive was that he _**had**_ actually grown! Just like Clara had said he would! He was now at least as tall as Skimbleshanks, if not taller, and his new larger frame had filled out through hours of play with Casey so that muscles could be seen easily moving under his coat.

Sitting down, Munkustrap thought what this ment. It ment that when he finally got back to the Junkyard, no one would recognize him. Heaviside! If he hadn't recognized himself, then how could he expect anyone else to?

***

The Jellicle Ball was only a few hours away. Munkustrap was pacing furiously by the door. If one of the humans opened it, he could be out in a heartbeat. "Smokey, get away from there!" Clara said, gently tapping his tail end with her broom. "You know you can't go outside!"

"You know, dear, it probably wouldn't hurt him." David said from the kitchen table. "He obviously lived outside before we took him in, and he knows he can get food here, so he'll most likely come back in a little while when he gets hungry." Munkustrap meowed in agreement. Clara didn't look too sure.

But she opened the door, letting Munkustrap into the night.

***

Munkustrap ran happily towards the Junkyard. As a Jellicle, he could find his way blind when he was lost, so the Junkyard simply called to him. Entering the Junkyard, he listened for sounds of cats celebrating. There was sound, but it was a somber sound. Munkustrap was confused, the Jellicle Ball of the year before had been full of life and energy. He crept quietly towards the center of the Junkyard, not wanting to interrupt anyone's song. Keeping himself to the shadows, he saw the tribe.

He recognized most of the cats. The kits he had grown up with had chaged about as much as he had. Demeter and Bombalurina had grown into beautiful young queens, Tugger's scraggily beginings of a mane had grown out and looked rather impressive now. Coricopat and Tantomile's air of mystery had grown even more if that was even possible. Victor and Admetus looked relitively the same, but larger and stronger. There were two cats that Munkustrap didn't recognize. One was a black and white patched tom who lingered near an Abyssinian queen. Macavity was nowhere to be seen...

Munkustrap was still puzzled. Over the whole tribe was a feeling of sadness.

And where was Father?

Skimbleshanks hopped up onto the tire as the twins caught something in the air. Munkustrap froze, he wasn't sure what he should do if they had found him. Instead the words that came from Tantomile were the familiar "I belive it is Old Deuteronomy." At their words, the black and white tom rushed off to greet the Jellicle Leader, and Tugger and Skimble looked at each other and began the song to greet him.

"Old Deuteronomy's lived a long time;  
He's a Cat who has lived many lives in succession.  
He was famous in proverb and famous in rhyme  
A long while before Queen Victoria's accession."

Tugger than stepped in with a rich and smooth voice that Munkustrap couldn't help but smile at. He must surely be attracting queens now.

"Old Deuteronomy's buried nine wives  
And more - I am tempted to say, nintey-nine;  
And his numerous progeny prospers and thrives  
And the village is proud of him in his delcline."

Skimble then continued.

"At the sight of that placed and bland physiognomy,  
When he sits on the sun on the vicarage wall,  
The Oldest Inhabitant croaks:"

Then they sang together.

"Well, of all...  
Things... Can it be... really! ... No! ... Yes!...  
Ho! hi!  
Oh, my eye!  
My mind may be wandering, but I confess  
I believe it is Old Deuteronomy!"

Then the black and white led Old Deuteronomy into the Junkyard and to the tire. Munkustrap gasped. His father looked so old! Surely that couldn't be just from a year's aging! 

The other cats had continued their singing and Old Deuteronomy looked like he was making an attempt to look festive, but he was failing.

"My legs may be tottery, I must go slow  
And be careful of Old Deuteronomy!"

The cats fell silent. They weren't sure what to do. Their Jellicle Protector wasn't there to lead them into the next dance, and the Jellicle Leader looked strained.

Quietly, Munkustrap climbed a little ways onto a pile of junk so that he could see the rest of the tribe. He knew inwardly that he had to be the cause of his father's state in some way. When he reached the desired hight, he stopped and quietly continued the song that Skimble and Tugger had begun.

"Old Deuteronomy sits in the street,  
He sits in the High Street on market day;  
The bullocks may bellow, the sheep they may bleat,  
But the dogs and herdsmen will turn them away."

The tribe froze, and then slowly turned at the sound of the new voice. A gentle but stong voice that they traced up the junk pile the the strange silver tom. Munkustrap slowly moved down until he was on the ground, then started to slowly approach the group.

"The cars and the lorries run over the kerb,  
And the villagers put up a notice: ROAD CLOSED-  
So that nothing untoward may chance to disturb  
Deuteronomy's rest when he feels so disposed  
Or when he's engaged in domestic economy:  
And the Oldest Inabitant croaks: 'Well, of all...  
Things... Can it be... really!... No!... Yes!...  
Ho! hi!  
Oh, my eye!  
My mind may be wondering, but I confess  
I believe it is Old Deuteronomy!"

Munkustrap cautiously moved closer to Old Duteronomy, when the black and white stepped protectively between them. Drawing himself to his full hight, Munk easily looked down on the other tom, but made no move to use any force. The black and white looked back at Old Deuteronomy, not sure what to do. The rest of the tribe was similarly afflicted. Old Deuteronomy looked at the black and white. "It's alright, Alonzo. He means no harm." Alonzo didn't look too convinced but obeyed.

Munkustrap approached the tire slowly, a year is a long time...

Then, slowly, a smile spread over Old Deuteronomy's face and tears started to form at the corners of his eyes. He threw open his arms and Munkustrap joyously embraced his father. He nuzzled his father, taking in the comforting scent that he had missed so much.

"Welcome home, Munkustrap."


	4. The Silver Protector

Gray To Silver: Chapter IV

  
"Welcome home, Munkustrap."

"Father..." Munkustrap whispered softly, nuzzling Old Deuteronomy's as he had when he was a kitten. "Father, I've missed you so much. I was so scared I'd never see you again..."

The old tom gently stroked the fur on his son's head, looking like he might burst into tears at any moment, while wearing the largest smile that he had in a year. "But you have come home at last..." And for the first time in many years, Old Deuteronomy was at a loss for words, emotion threatening to overwhelm him.

Behind him, Munkustrap was faintly aware of the whispering of the other cats.

"Munkustrap? Who's Munkustrap?" An unfamiliar tom voice, obviously the black and white Alonzo.

"The shrimp..? No way..!" Victor and Admetus were whispering to each other.

"I thought he was dead..." Bombalurina's silky voice, with an uncharacteristic catch in it.

"It couldna be a ghost, could it?" Skimbleshanks' voice shook, but more from wanting, but not daring to belive his eyes rather than fright.

"He's alive?" Jellylorum's soft voice, one of the first Munkustrap had ever heard.

"My little Munkustrap?" 

Another familiar voice, one that Munkustrap could not ignore.

Out of all the tribe, the Gumbie Cat was the only one who was not rooted to the spot. She advanced slowly and cautiously, as if Munkustrap were some fragile illusion that would vanish if she actually dared to touch it. Reluctantly tearing himself away from Deuteronomy, Munkustrap turned and gathered the older queen into a hug. "Aunt Jenny..." he whispered softly.

"Heavyside," she sniffed, trying to keep herself together. "Were you trying to give me a heart attack? Dissapearing like that?" But the tone of her voice had no hint of a real scolding in it. After a moment, she took a small step back, but not releasing his hands, and gave him an apraising look. "You've grown." she smiled. "You must be a head taller than me. And your coat looks wonderful, so well-kept! Oh," she wiped a tear away from her eye. "I'm rambling now."

Munkustrap smiled and hugged her again. "I've missed you _and_ your rambling, Aunt Jenny."

Skimbleshanks finally got his feet to work again and quickly moved over to Munkustrap. The two toms touched paws in greeting before Skimble grabbed the younger tom and pulled him into a hug. "Ach, lad! We thought you were as good as dead. How'd yeh survive?"

"I almost didn't." Munk replied. "I was found by a human family. The tom human is an animal doctor."

"A vetranarian." Jenny smiled. "And to think I used to hate the sight of them."

"I should have guessed." Skimble nodded. "I see yeh have a collar like the rest of us kept cats." Munkustrap nodded.

Munkustrap then turned, his eyes stopping on a half-cut pipe that had been built up to act as a lounge-type chair. From it, Rum Tum Tugger sat, smiling. "Welcome home, big brother." 

Smiling, Munkustrap took a few steps closer to the pipe. "Tugger."

"Hope you're not expecting a big mushy display from me." Tugger grinned.

Munk's smile grew a bit. "Of course not. That would probably to irrepable damage to your carefully cultivated image that you have painstakingly built up for the sake of the queens."

"Oh, for Heavyside's sake!" Bombalurina rolled her eyes. "Get down there and give him a hug or something." she said, pushing a laughing Tugger off his seat and down onto the ground.

"What the heck." Tugger laughed, hugging Munk. "About time you got back." he said when he stepped away. "This whole responsibility thing was starting to get to me."

Munkustrap looked puzzled. "Responsibility thing?" he asked.

Skimbleshanks nodded. "Aye. As the third son of Old Deuteronomy, when you and Macavity dissapeared he was next in line."

Munkustrap couldn't believe his ears. "Macavity's gone? But... he was looking forward to becoming the Jellicle Protector."

"That's what we thought too." Skimble nodded. "But one day he just wasn't there. There weren't any signs of struggles or fights, so it looked like he simply left. No one knows to where."

Over in the corner of the yard Demeter shifted her wight slightly nervously.

"But, protectin' is something I don't have to worry about any more." Tugger grinned. "Not now that you're back."

"Me?" Munkustrap exclaimed. "You can't be serious!"

"I don't see why not." the Abyssinian queen purred, softly rubbing up against him, tracing the black stripes that criss-cossed his chest with a finger. "You look like you could handle it. I'm Cassandra, by the way. Pleased to meet you."

"Ummm, yes. Nice to meet you too. And I assume your tom friend is Alonzo over there?" he replied, desperately trying to find a tactful way of disengaging the queen.

Cassandra smiled. "Of course he is." Then she slipped back over to the black and white tom, who was doing his best to look upset but was failing miserably as Cassandra was draping herself all over him.

Munkustrap let out a slight sigh of relief. The last thing he needed on first night home was to get some tom thinking that he was trying to move in on his queen. Moving away from some of the other cats, Munkustrap looked up at Old Deuteronomy. "Is it true? Macavity's gone?"

The Jellicle Leader nodded. "It is just as Skimblesanks said. We all awoke one day to simply find him gone. There was a search, but nothing was discovered. The mantle of Jellicle Protector is rightfully yours, Munkustrap." He got up off the tire and took Munkustrap's paws in his own. "I always knew you were the right one, Munkustrap. Even being the second born, you have always possessed the needed qualities that were lacking in Macavity." Munkustrap looked confused.

"I... I don't understand, Father." he said, shaking his head. "I've never been strong enough..."

Deuteronomy interrupted his son with a gentle smile and wave of his hand. "Physical strength is not the only thing needed to protect. You feel loyalty, duty, honor, possess logic, reason, and compassion even towards those who would not feel it towards you. You have always been strong mentally and in spirit, if not in body. I remember a young tom who almost gave his life to protect another of his tribe. He fought dispite being the weaker of the combatants." He smiled a moment. "Besides, I daresay that physically you're a match for any of the toms here now. You must have spent a good deal of time playing with a human child, I think."

"Casey." Munkustrap said, nodding. "A good human. He's probably the real reason I'm still alive."

Deuteronomy looked thoughtful. "Children are like that sometimes. They amaze you in the most wonderous ways."

Just then, Skimbleshanks jumped onto the tire. "Well, now that we actually have something to celebrate, I think it's time we got back to the Ball!" he said with a smile.

"Excellent idea!" Deuteronomy laughed. 

_Jellicle Cats come out tonight  
Jellicle Cats come one come all.  
The Jellicle Moon is shining bright,  
Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball!_

***

The Ball had lasted long into the night, much longer than anyone had expected, going nearly until dawn. The reappearance of Munkustrap had a great deal to do with it, the other toms doing what they could to test just how long the silver tabby could go until he was worn down. To their great surprise, not only could he keep up with them this year, but he still had energy to spare at the end of the night when all of the cats were making ready to bed down for the night. "I think you showed them all a thing or two this year." Old Deuteronomy laughed softly as they walked back towards the section of the Junkyard where the cats made their dens. "I knew you had it in you."

Munkustrap smiled. "I just hope I can make you proud as the Protector. Right now that's all I want."

"You'd make me proud if you had returned to us the same way you had left." Deuteronomy replied, gently stroking his son's head. "I'm just happy to see you home and safe."

The sound of soft footsteps made the two toms turn to see Jennyanydots creeping forward. "I... I hope I'm not interrupting..."

"Of course not, Jenny." Old Deuteronomy gestured for the queen to join them. "You are always welcome company."

Jenny smiled and quickly joined the two toms. "I just wanted to say how wonderful it is to have you back, Munkustrap. And... if you need one... well, Bustopher and I have kept your bed the way you left it."

Munkustrap grinned shyly and hugged the Gumbie Cat. "Thanks Aunt Jenny. I didn't want to impose and just assume anything..."

"Heaviside, child!" Jenny laughed, "I raised you from a kit in that car trunk! Don't think I am going to kick you out in the cold. I've always thought of you as my own, and I'm not going to stop just because you're grown."

***

A pair of bright amber eyes watched the toms and the Gumbie Cat. A smile crossed the queen's lips. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

"You're terrible, Cassandra."

The Abysinian looked back over her shoulder into the den the three young queens shared. "Hmph, no worse than you, Bomby. You've been stringing both Admetus and Victor along for a while. We both know it's Tugger you're interested in." She turned back to the clearing ahead of her. "Still, you have to admit... That silver tabby is quite something to look at."

"I wouldn't have thought it was the same tom, honestly." Bombalurina said, creeping up next to her friend. "You never saw him before. Skinnier than Carbucketty, shorter than Etcetera and colored like a pile of ashes." She flashed a wicked smile. "But you're right, though. Look at the arms on him!"

"I was looking a bit lower."

"Oh-ho! Naughty girl!"

Cassandra just laughed. "He doesn't seem too interested though." she said, calming down. "He's not..?"

"Not as far as I know." Bombalurina replied. "Personally, I think he just is a one-queen kind of tom."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "And who might the lucky queen be?" she asked. Bombalurina tilted her head in the direction of the back of the den. Demeter was laying on a pile of old pillows, lazily batting at an old tassle attatched to the corner of one of them. "Demeter? But I thought she liked..?"

Bombalurina shrugged. "Wasn't much of a secret, that Munk liked Demeter. She was the only one who ever really talked to him. But big brother had the flash and was the tribe playboy before he dissapeared. They went to the Ball together. Munk was devistated. He was almost a no-show."

"That was the time he dissapeared?"

"Right. Some stray attacked Demi and Munk was first on the scene. The stray tossed him in the sewer before any of the other toms could do anything to save him."

Cassandra leaned in and spoke in a low whisper. "What do you think's going to happen now?"

"I'm not sure." Bombalurina answered. "Now that Macavity's gone, Demeter's not attatched. She might go for him, or she might not."

Tossing a glance to the back of the den, Cassandra made sure Demeter wasn't listening. "Did you notice Demeter last night?" she asked.

Bombalurina shook her head. "No, why?"

"Because she wasn't there." Cassandra replied. "She left right after Munkustrap showed up. She was the only one who didn't go to greet him."

***

**_*BANG!*_**

Munkustrap was jerked awake by a sudden crash on the top of the old Ford. "What in Heaviside's name?" He quickly opened the trunk and looked around, but to his amazement, didn't see anyone there. Creeping out, he sat on the rear bumper of the car and carefully scanned the yard. It was still early in the morning, most of the other cats were still asleep from the night before. Across the yard, he saw the orange Skimbleshanks walking towards the train station, Jellylorum waving good-bye. "Were are you off to today?" He called out.

"Carlisle." The railcat answered. "Not a long trip. Be back before too long." he smiled. Turning back to his mate he gave her a gentle nuzzle. "Heaviside knows I hate to be away from this lovely thing for long. Some other tom might try to snatch her up." Jellylorum laughed and returned the nuzzle.

"Flattery will get you everywhere." Suddenly, Jellylorum called out: "Munkustrap! Look out!"

Munkustrap barely had enough time to turn around before he found himself slammed to the dirt. Several things landed on top of him, each scrambling in different directions to get off of him. "Owwwww....." Munkustrap groaned, sitting up and shaking his head. Through the ringing of his ears, he could hear the sound of feet scrambling back up the trunk. A moment later he felt Jellylorum and Skimble behind him, helping him get to his feet.

"Are yeh alright, lad?" Skimble asked. "Yeh looked like yeh hit pretty hard."

Munkustrap nodded. "What hit me?"

"Four rather naughty little things." Jellylorum answered, holding four tails in her hand. Attatched to each was a kitten, each of them looking rather nervous. They kept looking from Munkustrap to Skimble to Jelly trying to figure out which was the one they had to be most afraid of. Eventually they decided it was going to be either Munk or Jelly, and each cramed themselves behind Skimble, trying to get out of sight. "Don't think he's going to get you out of this one." Jellylorum said, her tone strict. "Come out from there and apologize to Munkustrap. No wonder he was up so early. I didn't think the four of you could possibly make enough noise to wake the poor dear up after his first night back, but once again you have proved me wrong."

Slowly the four kittens crept forward. The first two got pushed ahead by the other two. One was a small tom kitten, gray and brown with a patch over his left eye with a strip across his nose. The second was another tom kit, this one with a large brown patch over his right eye. The two others were both queen kits, one white with a speckled gray coat that was marked with orange, gray and black stripes and the last was another dark kitten with orange, black and brown stripes. All four of them were looking at their toes, at each other's toes, or anything to keep from having to look at one of the older cats. "Now, go on." Skimble said firmly. "Say you're sorry."

"I'm sorry." the four kittens muttered rather unintelligably.

Jellylorum rolled her eyes. "Oh, come now. That's not much of an apology."

"It's alright, Jelly." Munkustrap interjected. "I'm sure it was just an accident, and anyway, there's no real harm done." He smiled at the kittens, rubbing his still sore head. "Anyway, I haven't even met these four. They weren't at the Ball last night."

"Mom wouldn't let us go." the orange and gray queen kit pouted. "She said it was going to be too late for us."

"And it was." Jellylorum retorted. "All hours of the night. You can go next year."

A look of amusement crossed Munkustrap's face. "Mom?" he turned to Skimble. "And would that make you 'Dad?'"

Skimble grinned proudly. "Aye, that it would. Only a few months old, these four. Too young for the Ball this year. Line up, the lot of yeh." he instructed the four kittens, who promptly did (anything to get out of trouble - for the moment). "This is Etcetera," he said patting the orange and gray striped kitten on the head, "and this is Electra." The brown and orange kitten shyly touched paws with Munkustrap, who gave the two sisters a gentle smile. "And these two troublemakers are Carbucketty and Bill Bailey." he said, patting the two tom kittens on the heads.

"And you're Munkustrap." Carbucketty grinned, gently batting at Munkustrap's ankles. "You're Tugger's big brother."

"Well, I'm just a little older than him." Munkustrap smiled.

Bill Bailey ran around to Munkustrap's backside. "I think he'll be a better Protector than Tugger or Macavity." he said.

"Nuh-uh!" the girls replied, in unison. "Tugger's the best!"

"Yeah, but I bet Munkustrap has better things to think about than stupid girls." Bill Bailey stuck his toungue out as he poked his head between Munkustrap's legs. "He probably thinks about real tom stuff." Munkustrap just laughed and stepped over the small tom kit.

"I'm sure Tugger did the best he could." he said with a smile. Actually, the kitten's assessment probably wasn't all that far off, Munkustrap thought with a smile.

Skimbleshanks nodded as the kittens started a wrestling match beside the adults. "I'll give him credit. The lad did what he could. But he's not the Protector-type. Like Bill Bailey said, he's a wee bit more interested in the queens. Wound up giving them a bit more protecting then they needed at times."

Munkustrap laughed. "Well, I hope I can live up to the legacy left to me by my predecessor."

"You'll do just fine." Jellylorum smiled. "You only ever lacked one thing - physical strength - and I daresay that you probably have enough of that now." Munkustrap blushed. He wasn't used to cats commenting positively on his appearence. 

Humans were one thing... Cats were another.

***

"Demeter!" Bombalurina called after the calico queen. "Where are you off to?" she asked. Demeter jumped when she heard her name called, but turned to face her sister.

"Nowhere in particular." she said, her eyes darting about somewhat nervously. A thing that didn't escape the red queen.

"Nowhere in particular?" she asked. "Well, then why not come with me? I was just heading over in the direction of Jenny's car to see how Munkustrap was today. Seeing as how you didn't welcome him back last night it'll give you a chance." The red queen smiled slyly. "Come on, it'll give us a chance to size him up better. You should have seen him moving last night..." Bomby gave Demeter a wink.

Demeter wrinkled her nose up. "Come on, Bomby. I can't think of Munkustrap like that! He's like a little brother to me for Heaviside's sake! You don't spend your childhood watching out for someone like that and then just turn around and look at them like... well, like a _tom_. I mean, everytime I see him it's still as the kitten he was a year ago. You or Cassandra can fight over him if you want." she said, turning back in the direction she had been heading.

Bombalurina stepped lightly on her sister's tail. Just enough to keep her from moving. "Well, dear, I have news for you.  
A - Munkustrap _is_ a tom.  
B - He certainly isn't a kitten anymore.  
C - He isn't interested in Cassandra or me.  
D - You at least owe him a thank your for saving your virtue and possibly your life a year ago." 

Turning around, Demeter jerked her tail out from under Bombalurina's paw. "Thank you for the excellent summery of events, Bomby." she glared at her sister, "But I need to get going."

"In such a hurry to get to 'Nowhere?'" Bombalurina asked, a cooly amused look on her face. Demeter paused just long enough to give Bombalurina another cold look before running off. The red queen arched an eyebrow. There was something going on with Demeter in the middle of it. She would have to keep an eye out for her sister for a while. 

"Bombalurina?" It was Bombalurina's turn to see who was calling her name. She smiled slightly when she saw Munkustrap walking towards her. He smiled in greeting to the other Jellicle and sat down next to her. "How are you doing today?" he asked.

"Pretty good." she replied. "And how about you? First morning back in the Junkyard? How is it?"

"It's wonderful to be back." Munkustrap answered. "I've met Skimbleshanks' and Jellylorum's kittens, convinced Alonzo that I had no intentions of trying to steal Cassandra, organized a new way of doing periodic patrols of the Junkyard with a minimum of toms, and found myself a little den of my own."

"Your own den? I thought you were staying with Jenny and Bustopher?"

Munkustrap shrugged. "Well, they deserve their privacy." he paused a moment and then laughed. "Honestly, my old bed is just too small now. I needed something a little bigger. Never thought I'd actually have that problem."

Bombalurina couldn't help but laugh with him. _He's as infectious as Old Deuteronomy..._ she thought with a smile. What in Heaviside's Name was Demeter thinking? "Well, if there's anything I can do to help you get settled back in, you just let me know." 

"Now that you mention it," Munkustrap said, shifting a little akwardly, "I was going to ask if you've seen Demeter. I caught a glimpse of her last night but I never got the chance to talk to her."

"Errrrr... Demeter..." Bombalurina stalled. "Ummmm.... let me think...." Then she flipped the conversation quickly and asked with a sly smile, "What do you need to talk to her about?" The red queen noted to some small satisfation that the inquirey brought a blush to Munkustrap's face. His lighter coat certainly wasn't helping him out here.

"Well, I had gotten her a present before my little... accident. Aunt Jenny said that she, Uncle Bustopher and Father gave it to her for me. I just wanted to know how she liked it."

Bombalurina thought for a moment. "Let's see... As far as I can remember she absolutely loved it. You showed fantastic fashion sense for a tom, Munk."

Munkustrap gave a short laugh. "It helps when they tell you what they like and then they just never think they'll get it." 

"A big tom who'll admit to getting help from a queen." Bombalurina smiled, this time a little more gently. "Don't worry, Munk. Next time I see Dem I'll let her know that you'd like to talk to her."

"Thanks, Bombalurina." Munkustrap smiled. "Now I must be off. I've got a playdate with some kittens."

"Roped into baby-sitting?"

"Just the tom-kits." Munkustrap grinned. "Tugger has Electra and Etcetera permanetly attached to his legs." Bombalurina groaned and shook her head.

"It'll serve him right when he starts drowning in them." 

Munkustrap just laughed at her comment and headed back towards the centeral Junkyard where Bill Bailey and Carbucketty would be waiting for him. Bombalurina pulled herself up into a pipe and thought.

Demeter had gotten Munkustrap's gift. For the first few months she had it, she hadn't even taken it off aside from when she was asleep. But lately... Lately the golden queen hadn't been wearing it. Details were starting to nag at Bombalurina. Tantomile had casually mentioned Demeter's nerves the at Munkustrap's return. At first the red queen dismissed it, they had all been emotional. But after Cassandra mentioned that Demeter had actually left the Ball, and today catching her sneaking out of the Junkyard... A frown crept over her face. Something was wrong... 


	5. A Few Days In The Life

Gray To Silver: Chapter V

  
Demeter shivered as she walked along the alleyways. She hated coming this close to the docks, she never felt safe. The fog swirled in thick circles, and she would have been moving almost blind had she been anything other than a Jellicle Cat. It felt as if her heart was racing like she had just danced the entire Jellicle Ball straight through. It had been unnerving having Bombalurina catch her like that. And then having to lie to get away, she hated that even more.

_But it's only for a little while longer..._ she told herself over and over again. _He promised that everything would be done soon. Then he can come back with me, and it'll be like he never left. We'll start a family, live happily in the Junkyard, and go to the Heaviside together._ A whistful smile fell over the queen's face. A litter or two of kittens, toms and queens... A warm den that they would all share. Maybe one day they might even find humans of their own.

"A nice queen like yourself should't be alone in a place like this." came a low voice from behind her as Demeter found herself pulled back by two strong arms. She twisted wildly for a moment before calming and letting the smile return.

"You're going to send me to the Heaviside doing that, Macavity." she purred softly as she nuzzled his thick red coat.

"Oh I think not." the ginger tom smiled back at her. "They don't like it when the Everlasting Cat gets shown up in beauty." He pulled Demeter close to him and kissed her deeply. Demeter's purr deepened a little, but she kept herself in control. She knew Macavity had a tendency to enjoy the physical aspect of their relationship a little too much for her own liking. Macavity sensed her reluctance for any furthur fun in the fog and sighed. "I suppose we should go inside, my dear? Let you warm up and get something to eat. Then you can tell me all about what I missed last night."

***

Munkustrap sighed as he lay across the top of the old Ford that was next to the tire in the center of the Junkyard. The sun was shining brightly and it felt nice just to be able to bask in it's rays. Rolling onto his back, he stretched his arms and legs in a very satisfying movement before settling back down. He was about to drift off into a quick catnap when he detected a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Sitting bolt upright, he looked around, and spotted Demeter making her way quietly across the central clearing. Slipping down the trunk of the car, he was about to call out to her when he noticed her looking around nervously, wringing her hands all the while. "Demeter..." he called out, smiling at the sight of the young queen.

She jumped. 

She really jumped!

Munkustrap was startled. "Demeter, are you alright?" he asked approaching her slowly.

The calico looked up at him and almost went slack-jawed. Bombalurina hadn't been kidding! This was most certainly not the tom she had known just a year ago. As she watched him, the silver tabby took a tentative step closer and Demeter was surprised to see a look of concern on his face.

"Oh, yes..." she managed to sputter out. "I'm fine, thanks." Munkustrap didn't look entirely convinced, but didn't press his luck. Shifting nervously from foot to foot, she looked over towards her den, which was behind the silver tabby. "Um, but nice seeing you, Munkustrap!" she said quickly, darting past, Mukustrap bearly sidestepping in time.

"Demeter, wait!" he called after her, but to no avail. She kept going until her calico coat dissapeared into the darkness of her den.

Munkustrap sighed, his shoulders falling and tail curling slightly between his legs. _Even after a year, barely a look..._ he thought glumly to himself. _I'll never be what you need in a tom, will I Demeter?_ Turning back the way he had come, Munkustrap climbed back onto the tire, the sun somehow seeming less warm now.

After a few minutes, he caught the sounds of raised voices coming from the queen's den. Concerned, he made his way up to the opening of the shelter. 

***

"What in the hell was that?" 

Demeter looked up to see a very irrate Bomby and Cassandra glaring down at her. "Wh... what was what?" she stammered back, surprised to see both the queens giving her icy stares.

"He gets all worried about you and you blow him off like he was a... a policle or something!" Bomby fairly blew up at the golden queen.

"What do you mean by that?!" Demeter shot back. "Blow who off?!"

"Care to explain why he's laying out on the tire looking like he just lost his reason for living?" Cassandra almost hissed, not even stopping to answer Demeter's question.

Bombalurina crossed her arms. "He just wanted a few minutes of your time to talk to you, Demeter."

"Who? Munkustrap?" Demeter asked, still trying to get an answer.

Bombalurina's eyes narrowed. "Who did you think we were talking about?"

"I don't know!" Demeter retorted. "There _are_ other cats in this junkyard."

Cassandra smouldered as she looked from Demeter to the Junkyard and back. "I don't get you, Demeter. I know I'm fairly new to the tribe, but I heard the two of you were friends, that he saved your life even. So he comes back and you don't even stick around to say hi." She took another look out to where the silver tabby was resting. "I mean, it's not like he's unpleasent to look at or anything! Heaviside, if I wasn't with Alonzo right now _I'd_ be out there trying to convence him to go a round or two with me."

"As if he would even be interested." Bomby mused. She looked down at Demeter. "He's still got it bad for you, Dem. He was looking for you this morning, wanted to talk to you. He turned the brightest shade of red when I asked why. Honestly, now that Macavity's gone you can't do better than Munkustrap. Hell, he was probably better than Macavity in the first place. Kind, well-mannered, thoughtful... Macavity was self-centered, egocentric and ill-tempered once you got down to it. Probably better that he did run away and leave the roll of protector for Munk."

Demeter's face had grown almost as red as Bomby's fur. "SHUT UP, the both of you!" she yelled at them. "Macavity wouldn't run away! You two just don't understand him! He'll come back and make this the greatest tribe of cats in history!"

"Fat chance." Bomby snorted, "Munk's got this leadership thing down..."

"Munkustrap is still the second-born!" Demeter retorted, "And if he knows what's good for him, he won't get too comfortable as Protector because Macavity will come back and he isn't going to need a runt in his way!"

The faint sound of a bit of garbage tumbling to the ground suddenly caught her attention, and the three queens quickly made their way to the entrance to their den. The got to the opening just in time to see a flicker of silver dissapear into the hole that had recently been claimed as Munkustrap's den.

Demeter's hand flew to cover her mouth, "Oh, Heavside..." she whispered.

"Well," Cassandra said dryly, "I guess you won't have to worry about Mukustrap pining after you anymore."

Bombalurina nodded in agreement. "Oh defenitely. You seem to have handled that one with a great deal of finality."

***

_All this time, that's all she ever thought about me..._ Munkustrap lay curled up in his den, his tail wrapped around his legs. _Macavity's little brother... The **runt**._

"No!"

The growl escaped his throat with more force than he thought was in him. Munkustrap took a few deep breaths and collected himself. What was he thinking? He was the Protector now. No matter what anyone said. The option of being a weak kitten was no longer there for him, there was the tribe to think about. The real kittens who needed to be protected. Electra, Etcetera, Bill Bailey and Carbucketty. Feeling sorry for himself would not get anything done.

And there was Father...

_He's depending on me. He has so much faith in me, I **can't** let him down._

Shaking the dust out of his fur, Munkustrap straightened himself up and turned to face the entrance to his den. He exited, aware of three pairs of eyes on him. A look of firm determination settled on his face as he forced his tail to remain upright and head high.

Demeter watched him leave, a knot forming in her stomach for some unkown reason.

***

Over the next few days Munkustrap threw himself into his roll of Protector. With the help of Alonzo, Admetus and Victor, Munkustrap had built a series of hiding areas for the tribe should they ever need them. The toms also worked to strengthen the defences around the central Junkyard. The silver tabby seemed to work with a single-minded drive that exceeded the energy of the others, usually leaving him the last one working during the day. He also spent time with the kittens, play wrestling with Carbucketty and Bill Bailey, and taking Etcetera and Electra out on safaris to nearby parks. For the most part he was able to keep Demeter out of his mind.

But the calico queen still would creep into his mind once he settled for the night.

For her part, Demeter had become more withdrawn from the other queens. Bombalurina and Cassandra were still sore at her, for what reason Demeter still couldn't fathom. It was her own business who she decided to be with. And right now, well, it wasn't Munkustrap.

Wasn't it?

Since their loud argument a few days ago, Bombalurina and Cassandra had begun openly watching Munkustrap when he passed by their den, played with the kittens, or did any sort of work in the clearing in front of the tire. The two would exchange comments about the silver tabby loudly enough for Demeter to hear. Every so often they would call down to Munkustrap and the tabby would simply turn and give them a smile and a wave in return. The two queens would then turn to look at each other and giggle for a moment. Whenever they started that, Demeter found it hard to stay in the den. She would generally slip out and leave to find refuge elsewhere.

Which is what she was going to do now. Slipping away, Demeter headed out of the Junkyard and to Macavity's home near the docks. Being there didn't exactly put her mind at ease, but at least some of the confusing thoughts left her mind. When she reached the entrance to the lair, Demeter rapped on the door and waited to be admitted. Eventually, a scruffy tom appeared at the door and opened it for her. Demeter slipped quickly by him without a word. Some of the cats that Macavity was keeping company with these days unnerved her to no end. They were hardly the sort that Old Deuteronomy would approve of...

"My darling Demeter..." Macavity's silky smooth voice suddenly purred from a side corador. "What news from home do you bring to me today? No, wait, let us go someplace a little more private." Taking her by the arm, Macavity gently guided Demeter towards his private den. 

***

Munkustrap had gone a little further than normal in his patrol and he was hurrying to get back to the centeral clearing before nightfall. Policles had been seen around the Junkyard lately, and it made him feel better to be near where the kittens were when darkness fell. He had just crossed a pile of pipes that had recently been dumped, when he heard a faint sound. Sliding to a halt, Munkustrap's keen ears swivled to try and catch the sound again. It drifted up, bearly loud enough to hear, from somewhere within the pile of pipes. 

It sounded like... Kittens...

Peering down into the mass of stacked pipes, Munkustrap looked for any signs of Carbucketty, Bill Bailey, Etcetera, or even Electra. His eyes peered down into the pile, hoping to catch a flash of orange or white from one of the kitten's coats. "Anyone down there?" he called down. His only answer was a scared sounding mew from somewhere deep in the pile, defenitely a kitten, possibly more. Kittens typically did not like to be alone and they generally traveled in groups if they could at all do so.

Munkustrap jumped off the mound of pipes and looked it over. The pipes had been dumped rather haphazardly onto the ground, leaving plenty of small tunnels for a kitten to crawl into. Not to mention that the kittens could be in the pipes themselves as well. After a few moments of searching, Munkustrap had managed to find himself a hole big enough for him to crawl through. _This.... *urgh*... wouldn't have been a problem a few months ago..._ he grumbled mentally to himself as his head knocked into a pipe above him. "Hello?!" he called down further into the mass of pipes. "Who's down there?" From down in the blackness, Munkustrap thought he saw a flicker of white.

"H... help..." called a voice weakly. It was a tom kit's voice, but there was another voice down there as well, this one simply wimpering more than anything else.

"Hold on." Munkustrap called down. "I'll get the two of you out of there."

"M... my sister... She's... she's..." the voice called weakly, "I... I think she's hurt..."

"It's going to be alright." Munkustrap replied, then he repeated his promise, "I'm going to get you out of there."

  
"Please hurry!" te tom kit's voice called again.

  
Squirming out from the pipes, Munkustrap looked over the maze, trying to find a way that would take him to the center where the kittens were. It was a mystery to him how they had gotten themselves in there in the first place. No matter where he looked there were pipes that should have blocked even most kittens from getting in. The pipes themselves were fairly large to a cat. Planting his shoulder under one, Munkustrap pushed it with all his strength and didn't feel it move at all. The silver tabby began to become very worried. There wasn't enough time to go and get any of the other toms, nightfall was coming and he couldn't just leave these kittens here by themselves. The queen kit was injured and the tom kit sounded scared out of his wits. Climbing back up to the top of the pile, Munkustrap finally found a pipe that he could squeeze through. It was a risky idea, using the pipes themseves as a means of getting to the kittens, but the way that the pile was stacked was going to keep him from crawling between them at all. Taking a breath to steady himself, Munkustrap crawled into the pipe head first.

The sides of the pipes had been rusted and worn with age and use, providing plenty of claw grabs. The going was slow, but Munkustrap managed to keep moving from one pipe to another while trying to keep his mental direction. The sounds of the kittens were getting louder, but while the tom kit's voice was keeping up it's mews for help, the queen kit's voice seemed to be fading. Hurrying as much as he dared, Munkustrap kept up the pace until he came to a small pocket of open space. From the shadows peered two pairs of eyes.

A young, tuxedoed tom kit clung protectively to a white queen kit as he looked at the silver tabby. Munkustrap pulled himself out of the pipe and extended a hand towards the young kittens. The white kitten looked afraid, but the tom was a little more assured. As if he somehow knew that Munkustrap ment no harm to them, he reached forward and stroked Munkustrap's paw in the traditional feline greeting. This gesture seemed to somewhat reassure the young queen, who struggled to sit up and do the same.

"Take it easy." Munkustrap instructed her gently. "I'm going to get the two of you out of here." Looking around, Munkustrap searched for a way to get the kittens out of the pocket. "How did you two get in here?" he asked, somewhat amazed and defnitely somewhat confused.

The small tom looked a little frightened, as if scared to tell. "I... It was an accident." he stammered.

Munkustrap was quick to re-assure the tom. "Don't worry about trying to explain. It's not important. What is important is trying to figure out how I'm going to get the two of you out." It was then that he noticed that the young queen was wrapped in a red blanket. The revelation sparked an idea in his head. "We're going to need your blanket." he told the kittens gently. The young tom nodded and helped his sister out from the folds, then handed the blanket to Munkustrap. Folding the blanket into a sling, Munkustrap tied it around himself and knelt down. He carefully picked up the queen kitten and placed her into it. Then he turned around and motioned for the tom kit to grab onto his back. "This is going to take a while, so make sure you have a good hold on me."

"Okay." the tom kit replied, and Munkustrap felt his small fingers grasping onto his shoulder fur.

The climb up was a lot longer than Munkustrp remembered it from the trip down. Of course, he hadn't had two kittens hanging on him then either. He was about halfway up when he felt his arms and legs start to scream at him, burning in the muscles and aches in his hands from where he was digging his claws into the sides of the coroding pipes. A few times he lost his grip after misjudging the stability of a claw hold, each time hearing a mew of fright from the queen kit and a small yelp from the tom.

Eventually the small queen pointed upward, directing Munkustrap's head towards the sky. Looking up, the silver tabby saw the moon... His heart skipped a beat as he closed his eyes and sighed happily. They were almost there! Just a few more feet and he had a grip of the lip of the top pipe. Pulling himself free, he let the tom down off his back and lifted the queen out of the sling. She managed to stand for a few seconds on her own, but then Munkustrap had to catch her to keep her from falling down the pile of pipes. Giving her a gentle smile, Munkustrap picked up the kitten and carried her down, the young tom following directly behind them.

When they reached the bottom of the mountain of pipes, Munkustrap looked down at the tom kit. "You know, I haven't told you who I am yet, have I?" The small tom just shook his head. "My name is Munkustrap. What are the two of you called."

"I'm Quaxo." the tuxedoed tom answered quietly.

"I'm Victoria." Munkustrap looked down in surprise at the little queen in his arms. She blushed a little as his face broke out into a smile.

"So you do talk, after all." he laughed. "Now, where are your parents?" he asked. "The two of you aren't out here by yourself, are you?"

The two kittens suddenly looked very sad. "We don't know where our parents are." Quaxo replied. "Humans took us from them a few weeks after we were born, and we haven't seen them since. We ran away so we could try and find them."

"And that's how you got stuck down there..." Munkustrap mused. He thought for a moment, and then took Quaxo by the paw. "Well, you can't stay alone in the Junkyard overnight. Come on, I'll take you someplace where you can get some food and some sleep."

***

Jenny scanned the Junkyard, wringing her hands in worry. She jumped a little when she felt a gentle paw on her shoulder. 

"Fretting isn't going to make him show up any sooner, my dear." Bustopher said softly. "Munkustrap is a grown tom. He can take care of himself."

Deuteronomy was behind the Saint James' Street Cat and nodded in agreement. "I'm sure he'll be along shortly."

"But there've been Policles around..." Jenny started when she was suddenly inturrupted.

  
"Aunt Jenny! I need your help!"

All three cats turned to see a rather dirty Munkustrap and two kittens entering the Junkyard. "Great Heaviside!" Jenny exclaimed, rushing down to meet the three weary cats. "What's all this? Who are these two? Where are their parents?"

  
"Quaxo and Victoria, I found them in the Junkyard, they're alone." Munkustrap answered as he let Jenny take the white queen kit in her arms, the Gumbi Cat's instincts taking over.

"The poor dears! They look half starved! And this poor little thing has some nasty cuts..." she looked down at Quaxo and took his paw in hers. "Come along with me, you two. Kittens in your state. That will never do!"

The three grown toms smiled after Jenny. "Was she like that with me?" Munk finally asked, looking over at Bustopher and Deuteronomy, who just smiled and nodded.


End file.
